Nephise: Ascension

80%
Game Brain Score Based on 85 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Nephise: Ascension Game Cover
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Nephise: Ascension is the third game in the Nephise series, following the story of a young orb collector lost in Dragons Valley. This first-person "walking simulator" offers extensive exploration, light puzzle and platforming elements, and professional voice narration. The game features a variety of locations with different lighting and weather, providing an immersive and relaxing experience that lasts an hour or more. No prior knowledge of the earlier games is necessary to enjoy this standalone tale.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

80%
Audience ScoreBased on 85 reviews
story10 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • Beautiful graphics and varied landscapes create an immersive atmosphere.
  • The game features improved gameplay mechanics, including platforming and puzzles, making it more engaging than previous installments.
  • The music and sound design enhance the overall experience, providing a relaxing backdrop to the exploration.
  • Some scenes are too dark, making navigation difficult and frustrating.
  • The character design feels out of place and detracts from the game's overall tone.
  • The story lacks depth and coherence, leaving players feeling disconnected from the narrative.
  • story48 mentions

    The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the improved narrative depth and backstory of the protagonist, Nephise, while others find it lacking and repetitive compared to previous installments. Many feel that the plot is simplistic and often disconnected from gameplay, leading to a tedious experience, especially with the focus on collecting items. Overall, while there are elements of beauty and engaging music, the story does not significantly enhance the gameplay for many players.

    • “The game feels more advanced than its predecessor in all regards: the storyline is more developed, graphics use fewer objects yet at the same time they manage to look fantastic, and music is again excellent.”
    • “Nephise is a short and simple introduction to the story, Nephise Begins is the next installment very much like the first, and Nephise: Ascension has more story, puzzles, and zones... and a fun ending!”
    • “The storyline follows the 'fairy tale' style, narrated well.”
    • “But I won't comment any further on this now because if you want to play the game, you'll find out about the story anyway, and if you don't do that, you won't miss anything.”
    • “However, there really isn't much of a story here or even anything worthwhile seeing.”
    • “The problem with a do-everything easy button from a storytelling perspective is that it obliterates any semblance of risk, stakes, or conflict, which means that any story you may have had up until that point is rendered void to the audience's emotions.”
  • music33 mentions

    The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its calming and engaging qualities. However, some players have pointed out issues with repetitiveness and occasional interruptions during gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience.

    • “The game feels more advanced than its predecessor in all regards: storyline is more developed, graphics use fewer objects yet at the same time they manage to look fantastic, and music is again excellent.”
    • “Like most of the games in the franchise, Ascension is a very beautiful game, with mesmerizing music and a pretty story.”
    • “The wonderful music is creating a great atmosphere.”
    • “The music was also very repetitive.”
    • “The music is repetitive.”
    • “The musical themes are 'renaissance' style, varied with chapter, but within each chapter rather monotonous.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with some players praising the beautiful visuals and immersive environments, while others noted inconsistencies in character design and realism. Many appreciated the artistic style and lighting, though some found certain elements, like character proportions and resolutions, lacking. Overall, the graphics are generally considered a strong point, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.

    • “The game feels more advanced than its predecessor in all regards: storyline is more developed, graphics use fewer objects yet at the same time they manage to look fantastic, and music is again excellent.”
    • “Nephise Ascension is a huge credit to the entire series, 1+ hours to beat, beautiful graphics, fun gameplay, easy puzzles, fine music, it’s a good game to recommend.”
    • “The music doesn't wear out its welcome and the graphics are beautiful as always (with proper credit given as always to the makers of the prefab elements used).”
    • “Somehow the graphics in this one are worse than the first two.”
    • “The developer responded right away and told me to lower my display and graphic setting.”
    • “[b] Graphics [/b] 3 stars ( [i] some body stuff was very unrealistic movement-wise.”
  • gameplay17 mentions

    The gameplay in this title is generally considered an improvement over previous entries, featuring more mechanics such as light platforming, simple puzzles, and exploration elements, though it remains largely linear and straightforward. While some players found the experience underwhelming and criticized the physics and character design, others appreciated the atmospheric focus and the overall fun factor for the price. Overall, it offers a decent amount of content for a low cost, making it a recommendable experience despite its limitations.

    • “Apart from the obligatory statues and orbs to collect, this part offers more gameplay than the previous ones.”
    • “This time it incorporates some more gameplay mechanics and even an interesting story.”
    • “Nephise Ascension is a huge credit to the entire series, 1+ hours to beat, beautiful graphics, fun gameplay, easy puzzles, fine music; it’s a good game to recommend.”
    • “Overall really good for only paying $1.49, however I felt like the gameplay was a little bit underwhelming.”
    • “The gameplay is actually very linear in most parts--stray from the expected path and you are just met with dead-ends and confusion.”
    • “Not that walking sims are bad, it's just that Ascension introduces some more gameplay: there's platforming (using terrible physics), you can die from falling into chasms or touching enemies, the orb collecting is now a story objective needed to progress (twice), and there's a simple puzzle - and yes, it's turning statues around.”
  • atmosphere12 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning visuals, relaxing ambiance, and engaging music, making it a standout walking simulator. While some players note that the physics and puzzles could be improved, the overall experience remains focused on peaceful exploration and a captivating environment. Despite minor challenges, the atmosphere is consistently highlighted as a key strength, enhancing the game's appeal.

    • “This is a stunning walking simulator with a relaxing atmosphere and stunning views.”
    • “Love the music and the general atmosphere.”
    • “Great game, especially just for atmosphere and peaceful exploring.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to repetitive tasks like collecting items to progress, which detracts from the overall experience. The exploration often feels aimless, with lengthy wandering in catacombs that seem to serve only to extend gameplay time rather than enhance the story. Overall, the grinding elements are viewed as a frustrating hindrance rather than an engaging challenge.

    • “I do enjoy walking simulators and I've played quite a few from this developer, but this one seemed even more tedious, especially since there's a quite hard 'find 10 of insert item' task that is necessary to progress. The plot was a simple rehash of the same Nephise plot from the last two games. Nephise is still a mystery, and she doesn't know why the orbs give her these powers or what they are. It would be nice to have a progressive plot instead of just collecting items without understanding their significance.”
    • “Parts of it involve a lot of tedious wandering in catacombs that serve no other purpose than to pad out the game time.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    Players express a sense of emotional immersion as they navigate vast levels with minimal guidance, relying on memory and intuition. While the game incorporates platforming and puzzle elements, the emotional experience is heightened by the exploration and the challenges faced, despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics.

    • “It made me feel that I'm exploring blindly, with the only guidance being a small bit of narration. I had to rely on my memory and wits to find my objectives in the vast levels.”
    • “Ascension introduces more gameplay elements that enhance the emotional experience: there's platforming, the risk of dying from falling into chasms or touching enemies, and orb collecting becomes a story objective needed to progress, along with a simple puzzle involving turning statues around.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game has limited replayability, with users indicating that it does not offer enough incentives or variations to encourage multiple playthroughs.

    • “Not much of a replayable experience.”
    • “The game lacks incentives to play through again.”
    • “Once you've completed it, there's little reason to return.”
  • optimization1 mentions

    Users have reported experiencing issues with game performance and smoothness, prompting some to seek advice on optimal settings in discussion forums.

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